


Vive la Vida

by PixieDust291



Category: Blood and Chocolate (2007), Charlie Countryman (2013), Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Dark Plot, Explicit Sexual Content, Fate & Destiny, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Obsession, Possessive Behavior, Some dark themes, Vampier Blood Play, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-05-05 15:27:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5380310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixieDust291/pseuds/PixieDust291
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aiden has had enough and just wants a peaceful life again.  He finally finds a steady job and a place to settle down, but it seems the wolves are still out for his blood. Luckily for him he's attracted the attention of Nigel, a mysterious but very deadly assassin for the Vampire Clan that owns the city. Though Aiden doesn't know this quite yet. All he does know is that he's increasingly attracted to Nigel, unlike he's ever been to another man. Nigel is particularly interested in him as well, and especially in keeping him alive. Its a race against time to see which devours them first, their undeniable passion or the werewolves that want to rip them limb from limb.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to new readers and returning readers, who learned about this from my Hannigram 'Purity' fic.
> 
> Ok, I’m going to say this now. I have seen a LOT of Hugh’s and Mads’ movies. After I started shipping them in Hannibal is seemed only natural to look at their other achievements, and essentially ship every character they have ever done with each other. I know, I am trash.  
> No, you the reader, do not have to have watched any of these movies to enjoy this story. Though I do admit that watching ‘Charlie Countryman’ and ‘Blood and Chocolate’ in particular might enhance your enjoyment, but it is still not essential. Anything that directly has to do with the plot and such from either of those two movies I will be explaining in the story anyway. Though most of the story, setting, and details I’m making up in my own imagination.

Nigel slammed the smaller man’s body against the wall of the dark alley, twisting his arm behind his back almost to the point where it would pop out if its socket. The young man, Charlie, groaned in pain and barely had enough energy left to even attempt to struggle. Not that it mattered much in retrospect considering Nigel’s inhuman strength.

“Nigel, stop!”

Nigel turned his head to give Gabi, his cheating wife, a withering look. “Why should I stop?” He countered in an icy tone. “I find my wife consorting with filth like this and I’m just supposed to accept that?” There was a quick twist and then a crunching sound before Charlie screamed in agony and slumped to the floor, cradling his arm. Nigel turned his full attention to Gabi, staring her down. Even now the woman refused to back down and met his furious gaze. She had nerves of fucking steel. Nigel had to admire that, even if she had just proven herself to be a cheating whore. And for what? He glanced down at the crumpled mess that was her lover. The man was possibly the most pathetic excuse for a human Nigel had ever seen. He was short and gangly with hardly any muscle. He turned his gaze back to Gabi as he stepped toward her. “When we took our vows this is not what I had in mind.”

Her eyes narrowed “ **you** weren’t what I had in mind, either.” Her voice was low and full of contempt.

“Leave…her alone.” Charlie hissed through bloody teeth.

Nigel turned on him and gazed right into Charlie’s eyes. The smell of blood wafted through the air and called to him. Blood of the week and injured. It called to his more primal instincts. Nigel’s eyes darkened to a crimson red that glowed ominously in the moonlight overhead.

Charlie’s eyes widened in fear “W-what the fuck?”

Nigel turned back to Gabi “So you didn’t tell him what I am?” He smirked “Good to see that mouth is still good for one thing.”

“You’re a monster, Nigel.” Gabi shook her head. Her hands were balled into fists that were trembling with the effort not to punch him.

“Is this why you have been avoiding me? Trying to run from me?”

“No.” Gabi answered honestly “I just don’t want to be with you… I can’t stand it anymore!” She slapped him, though the action hurt her more than him. “Charlie was just there when I needed him and-”

“And you love him.” Nigel finished with a deadpan tone. He smiled “I see… and who am I to keep the two love birds apart, right?” She did not see the gun he pulled out from behind his shirt, but she gasped and moved to stop him when he turned and shot. The bullet cut through the air and pierced the center of Charlie’s forehead. There was a momentary trembling of the body before it fell down lifeless. Blood pooled from the bullet hole and began to gather under his cheek.

“How could you?!” Gabi cried out, turning into a regular hell cat as she tried in vain to scratch his eyes out. Nigel held her off as he grabbed her arms and wrestled her into his grasp, taking her neck in his hands. He tightened his hold, watching her eyes go wide and white as she stared up at him.

“Oh Gabi,” Nigel shook his head. Even now, moments away from death, with her flaming red hair and piercing eyes, she was beautiful. Nigel supposed that was his only weakness, beauty. “You knew better than to cross me. Did you honestly think I would let you go?”

“I…hate….” She gasped out before his hands tightened and she found herself truly kicking and fighting for breath.

“Death do us part, darling. That was what we promised.” He could feel the bones at the back of her neck bending under his force. “Better to have loved and lost and all that, right Gabi?”

She shook her head and managed to struggle just enough to spit out “You never loved!” She kicked him in the stomach, the knee, but nothing happened.

Nigel’s red eyes hardened. He applied the final amount of pressure and not only felt, but heard the sharp resounding crack that was the vertebra beneath her skull shattering. Her thrashing body went limp instantly and he released her to fall with a loud thump to the concrete.

Taking several deep breaths, Nigel moved away to lean against one of the walls, taking out a lighter and a cigarette. He lit the end and took a long drag, exhaling it out into the cool night air. He looked up at the cloudless sky and the moon. It was almost a full moon. Just another two days or so and the white sphere would be whole and high in the sky. Nigel liked the full moon. No matter what species walked the face of this doomed world they all were affected by the moon. He didn’t know the science behind it but people just went crazy on nights when the moon was full. It was easier to hunt on those nights for predators like himself, and he would need to hunt now that his thrall  was dead. Thralls, or blood-slaves, were both a necessity and a luxury for a vampire.

He had been gone on an assignment for over a month only to return and find his thrall and wife missing from their home. When he went looking for her he found her curled up like a cat in the lap of some despicable human. Nigel really couldn’t understand what she could have possibly been thinking. He looked down at her body once more. Such a waste, he thought.

“Well, it would appear that I didn’t have to come down after all.”

Nigel looked to his side and wasn’t all that surprised to see one of his fellow assassins from the Clan lurking amongst the shadows. He took another drag from his cigarette “Hello, Francis.” He knew the other vampire hated being called by his former human name, which was why Nigel did it. Truthfully, Nigel never comprehended why at the turn of the century all the younger vampires up and decided to change their names to sound more ‘vampirish’ or ‘deadly’. It was inane and ridiculous.

“As I have told you multiple times my name is Dragon.” The younger vampire hissed. He walked forward and knelt down to inspect the human bodies. “The Clan sent me to see what you’ve been up to. You haven’t reported back from your assignment, they were getting worried.” His tone was emotionless and his eyes fixated on the red blood on the ground.

“I sent them the head. They should have received it in the mail shortly before I arrived. Besides, I had a personal matter to take care of.”

“Yes, I can see.” Francis rose to his full height “Odd for a thrall to turn against her master. And after you two had such a lovely wedding.”

Nigel smirked “You always were a cheeky little shit, Francis.” Though he had married Gabi in a traditional human ceremony it had more or less been for her father’s benefit. Nigel had caught the old man snooping where his nose didn’t belong. So to shut the him up, and Gabi as well, Nigel had married her. Her father had given up after that. What was the use of warning your daughter when she had already married the man? The whole affair had been beyond annoying, but Nigel had dealt with it because all of his fellow clan members had been seething with jealousy at how beautiful and spirited Gabi had been.

Thralls were a sign of status and power for vampires. The number of thralls and how aesthetically pleasing they were directly correlated to how much mental prowess any vampire possessed. Those vampires who were older generally had more mental manipulation capability and therefore could entrance people more easily. The beauty of the thrall was a preference, much like a human might surround themselves with fine china or crystal. Besides, if one was to put in all the time and effort to completely entrance a thrall; why would that thrall be anything but good-looking? The number of thralls in a harem was also a preference, though it was mostly observed that the bigger a harem size the more compliant and mindless the thralls were. This mindlessness was not preferential in vampire society.

Obtaining and keeping a thrall was much like a game. Thralls that were pretty, but were so manipulated as to have little to no personality left, were seen as nothing more than dolls and their vampire master viewed as lesser than his peers for not being able to control his appetite or mind. However, the reverse was true. If a thrall was so wild and cognizant that they could not be controlled they were seen as little more than a rabid dog that the master would be forced to put down. Therefore, a tentative but pleasant medium was the most ideal: a thrall that still had intelligence and personality, but was also controlled and obedient to his or her master. This equilibrium was hard to obtain and very few vampires had ever achieved it. Nigel had been among the few, until now. It annoyed him that lesser vampires like Francis would probably be snickering about this later tonight.

“Tell me, how is that pet of yours doing?” The younger vampire visibly stiffened and then glared at Nigel. Everyone knew that though Francis was young he did have a very pretty thrall under his ownership, too bad the poor girl was blind and as meek as a mouse. “I don’t think you have the right to ridicule me,” Nigel flicked his cigarette at Francis’ feet “when any shit faced vampire could manipulate a blind woman. Tell me, how long will this one live before you can’t control yourself and kill her?”

Francis looked as if he were about ready to attack Nigel, but in the blink of an eye he controlled himself and seemed to revert inward. He became impassive once more “I shall inform the Clan about the _untimely_ death of your thrall, who allowed herself to be fucked like a panting bitch in heat.”

“Do, and tell them I took care of the bitch myself.”

Francis vanished without another word, walking into the shadows and disappearing without a trace. Nigel rolled his eyes as he walked over to the bodies and took each one in hand. He walked them further down the alley and then took a right, leading him to the purple light district. A few blocks and then he felt the invisible feather light touch of the concealment spell barrier brush against his cheek. A few more steps and the world of the purple light district dissolved from invisibility to visibility around him. Purple luminescent jars with pixies inside and firefly stuffed lanterns glowed overhead on silvery thin strings and cast everything in a lilac tinted glow. The people and creatures mulling around the buildings and street market venders either ignored Nigel or took notice of him and knew better than to cause a scene.

All manner of supernatural beings knew that the Clan ruled this bustling city. The Clan was what protected them against the humans and made the laws that governed them all. They were also in charge of the agents and assassins, like Nigel, who were tasked with carrying out the Clan’s needs. Those needs, as they were, could range from supervising the city’s economic trafficking to more personal jobs such as ridding the Clan of particular liabilities. Of the two ranks, agents were more likely to be assigned jobs that were of low to moderate priority to the Clan, whereas assassins were given high priority cases to ensure success.

Nigel approached a small corner bakery with a large banner that read ‘Blackbird Pie’. He then ducked into the small narrow alley that would take him to the dumpster area where the back door to the kitchen was located. He walked over the rat infested trash to see a little girl on her knees picking up the rats and putting them in a large bucket. The girl turned to look at him as he approached. She eyed the bodies and then taking the bucket with her she darted through the open kitchen door. A moment later she returned followed by a rather burly looking man with his mouth sewn shut and one eye missing. He was wheeling what looked to be a stained laundry hamper. He rolled it in front of Nigel, who dumped the bodies unceremoniously into the bin. The little girl walked up and offered him a small black cloth bag.

Taking it, Nigel opened the draw string pouch and poured out the contents. Chronos, which was the name of the money used by those of mystical persuasion, looked and felt to the normal human eye like casino poker chips. To anyone other than human, however, the chips appeared multi-colored and pearly like the inner shells of abalone. He rubbed his thumb over them to feel their smooth texture, guarantying that they were genuine. Once he was satisfied he nodded to the young girl before turning to leave. It wasn’t that he needed the money; it was just that carting off the dead bodies to have them be processed into food was considerably more convenient for him then talking care of them himself. After all, there were those species that needed human meat to survive and by doing this it supplied them with a food source other than the living human population.

One of the Clan’s foremost laws was to avoid detection and suspicion of humans. Though most of the magical community, Nigel included, wished that they could separate themselves completely from humans and their culture, it was virtually impossible. The world was just too small, too many species depended on them for one reason or another, and the economy they generated was too profitable to ignore. So here they were, living side by side with nothing but spells and magic to conceal what they truly were. Though no humans lived in the purple light district, nor could humans find it by any means of their own, the species that did often commuted to the more urbanized human sanctioned parts of the city for work.

Nigel left the district and began the long walk back home. Though in all truthfulness it was Gabi’s house, left to her when her father died, Nigel considered that it was rightfully his now. He was sure that the Clan clerks would see to it that all her possessions were rightfully re-registered in his name. It would be considerably easier for them since he had been married to her. They wouldn’t have to fabricate any relation documents or inheritance wills.

Nigel sighed as he lit another cigarette, turning his way onto a busy street full of honking cars and lit lampposts. _“You never loved!”_ Her words echoed in his mind. She was right, in a way. A vampire such as himself was not capable of love in the human sense. To an immortal being, the feeling or expression of ‘love’ was a far more twisted and complicated thing then something that simple fairytales made it seem. He had cared for Gabi, in his own way, he felt, but in no way did that mean he would allow her to betray him. To run from him, and then ignore it when she became I liability to both him and the Clan. In retrospect he had given her a far less painful death then the Clan would have ordered for her.

He turned, favoring to walk down a deserted street that would lead to a shortcut to the house. The moon was high and bathed the limestone cobbles of the street making them appear golden and shimmering. A gust of wind whipped through the trees, rustling the leaves and making several fall around Nigel like autumn rain. Nigel ignored it in favor of taking another drag from his cigarette when he stopped. A smell, unlike anything he had experienced before wafted across his nose for only a second before it disappeared. He stopped, waiting to see if it came again. When it didn’t he looked around casually. Perhaps the scent had come from someone cooking in their apartment? But Nigel knew better. Another, stronger, burst of wind carried the smell to him once more. He turned and found it was coming from the inside of an abandoned Church.

There was a small yellow sign on the rusted iron fence surrounding the green overgrown courtyard that read ‘Historic Heritage Site: Private property’. Nigel turned away from it and gazed at the old ivy covered walls. The building was a little worse for wear due to age but it certainly was not condemned or dilapidated. Turning back to the fence, he followed it down the street until he found the gate, chained and locked shut. He reached out a hand to touch the iron bars. Though it was true that vampire could not set foot on holy soil, that was only true if the ground in question was still continually blessed. When his skin came in contact with the cold iron and nothing burned or pained him he smirked. Taking his hand back he effortlessly leaped over the fence and landed with barely a rustle of the grass beneath him. He walked toward the church.

The main entranceway was also locked but there was an open window on the second floor. Gaining entry though that, Nigel smelled the air again. The scent he had caught was stronger here. It was so warm and calming. It made Nigel feel comforted, which was not an emotion he had felt in a very, very long time. As quietly as a cat, he walked through the intricately designed halls of the Church. There were paintings contained in elaborate frames, all of religious worship. Nigel remembered a time when paintings of gruesome deaths had been preferred rather than the all holy shit that he was gazing at now. He preferred those paintings, the darker and harsher reality of the human life in retrospect to the world. Where people understood that death was not a fate they could escape and that their lives up until that point were meaningless flecks of existence. He walked down a staircase and into the main congressional area. The pews were stained seamless wood and at the front of them all was the gold adorned altar with its mahogany crucifix.

Looking around and finding no trace, nor sign, of the source of the scent he turned to leave and look elsewhere. His change in direction startled a stray white dove, which had been cowering in the shadows, to suddenly take flight. Its wings flapped loudly as it shrieked in horror. The sound echoed off the close walls and all throughout the church. Nigel watched the animal flit away and then he heard a voice.

“Hello?” It was male, concerned, and distant.

Nigel turned toward it but didn’t answer. The next moment he heard the sounds of rustling papers and then frantic steps. Nigel began walking in that direction, his pace only slightly hurried. He had just rounded the corner when he saw a man open a door. Another harsh gust of wind breathed into the passage and sent the handful of papers clutched under his arm flying.

“Shit!” The man swore as he knelt down, trying to frantically gather them up and sliding them haphazardly into his satchel. The wind continued to blow and from the strap of the satchel a red ribbon unwound itself and floated on the air in a fluid dance. It blew on the air over to Nigel, who caught it, and grasped it tightly in his hand. The man finished gathering up his papers and turned to look at Nigel.

Wide blue gray eyes were framed by a perfect youthful face. His dark chocolate brown hair was a mess of slightly overgrown curls that fanned around him due to the wind. His chin and upper lip had the softest hint of stubble, indicating he was more than a boy but still only just fully a man. His lips were a very kissable pink that matched the rest of his cherubic like appeal. Those eyes, Nigel found, were dazzling in their intensity. They were so open and full of emotion, churning at the moment with worry, fear, and the resolution to fight if need be. He saw intelligence there too, but more profound. The man looked at him not as a stranger and a would-be threat, but like he knew Nigel was a predator. Knew intimately what Nigel was and knew he should be afraid. That alone had Nigel’s interest peaked.

“I don’t want any trouble.” The man said, glaring now. Oh, Nigel liked that look. Even though it was meant to be threatening it only increased the man’s cuteness. Nigel’s gaze looked him up and down. He didn’t usually go for men, but even he admitted he was not against it either. After centuries of living even the most resolute of sexualities eventually blurred together into a resolve to just fuck whatever caught your fancy. And right now, this man had definitely caught Nigel’s attention.

“Then perhaps you should not have trespassed of sacred ground.” Nigel offered, amused.

The brunette blinked, fear gone and replaced with confusion. “What? You…” he moved away from the door and edged closer to Nigel. He looked him directly in the eyes. Rather brave, for a human, Nigel considered. After staring at him for what seemed like a small eternity the human released a withheld sigh as he visibly relaxed. “You’re not one of them, thank god.”

The man’s rich sent wrapped around Nigel and enveloped him like a cloak. His otherwise cold skin tingled with heat and as he closed his eyes visions of baked pastries and chocolate came to him. However, under that delightful smell was a hint of something darker and far richer; a spice that had Nigel’s fangs burning to just sink into the man’s tender neck. He wanted to feel the human under him, devour him, and make him scream as that hot blood filled his mouth when he came deep inside him. Only a select few people had ever elicited this response in him.

Nigel opened his eyes and saw the human running a hand through his tussled hair. He wanted to touch him. To run his fingers through those curls and kiss those parted lips until the human was senseless with desire. Well, Nigel thought, at least he had found his partner for the night. Releasing the intoxicating scent of his pheromones into the air Nigel projected his mind. He expected to come in contact with the human’s own, weak and yielding, but instead was rebuffed. He blinked, taken back. The man in front of him gave no indication that he even knew Nigel had tried to manipulate him. He did see the man’s breath deepen, an instinctive response to take in more of the pheromones in the air. Humans had repressed their natural biology so much that they had inadvertently made themselves hyper sensitive to the scents and cues of other species around them. So the man was affected by his pheromones but not by his manipulation. To confirm it, Nigel tried again, but was unable to touch the man’s mind. Interesting, very interesting.

“Look…I’m sorry.” The man’s voice was sincere “I just wanted to sketch some of the stained glass. I didn’t steal anything and I’ll go now.” Before Nigel could say anything the human turned and practically raced out of the Church as fast as he could. Nigel looked after him, wondering if he should pursue him. He wanted to, but if he could not use his mind to make the human blindly come with him then racing after him would only scare the man away.  He didn’t want that. So it would appear he would have to wait a while and then try and find the man again. He should have asked for a name, that would have been helpful. Then he looked down at the ribbon and brought it up to his nose, inhaling deeply. No, he didn’t need a name. Something told Nigel he would be able to find this man anywhere, no matter where he was hiding. Besides, he was curious to see just who or what the man was so afraid of.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay. The first trimester of pregnancy was very hard on me and I'm only just now feeling better.  
> On a good note, however, I have made it my mission to write a fic for every Hugh and Mads character pairing that I can. So a new multi-chap fic I've been working on will be published soon, featuring the pairing of Tristan/Galahad.

His hand moved in swift but delicate strokes as he captured the texture of the intricate fur around the cat’s eyes. The feline half dozed in a ray of sunlight before him. It was aware of his observation but had long ago grown accustomed to his presence, and thus ignored him entirely in favor of a comfortable nap. For this, Aiden was glad. When he first came here all the cats had been rather weary and skittish of him. Now it seemed he had finally settled in and was accepted as a regular member of the household. He hoped it stayed that way, at least for a little while longer.

“Aiden! Come down! The cake has finally cooled!”

Aiden nearly jolted out of his artistic concentration. The cat, which had been contentedly nestled on his bed, yawned and mewed as if to tease him for getting distracted. He set down his sketch pad on the bedspread as he went to the open window and called back “I’ll be right there!” The room he was renting was situated above the café and bakery where he worked. He grabbed the white apron he had flung over the table, tying it as he raced out the room and down the stairs to the back door of the kitchen. The moment the old wooden door swung open the aroma of baked bread and warm chocolate met his nose. It was a calming smell, and one that Aiden hoped he would never grow tired of. When he had first started working here he worried that the rich scent would bring back some unpleasant memories, but instead he found himself finally forgetting his past and settling in his new life nicely.

“There you are.” An Asian woman smiled at him from where she leaned across a counter injecting fluffy white sweetened ricotta cheese mixed with chocolate chips into tubular cannoli shells. Her raven hair was tied back in a ponytail, her lips complimenting it with a soft red shade. “Did you get distracted drawing my cats again?” Her eyes danced with amusement.

Aiden smiled a little ashamed that his manager knew him so well “Yes. Sorry, Katz.” Her name was Beverly, but due to the numerous cats she kept around her as pets, Aiden had taken to calling her by her last name, which seemed to fit her better.

“Which one was it this time?” She continued though her concentration was almost completely occupied with the Italian dessert.

“Cinnamon.” He moved and took his place in front of a large three tired cake that was already prepped with a layer of white vanilla fondant. After glancing at the paperwork next to it Aiden felt the design, red roses and black thorns along the base, was easy enough to replicate without a stencil so he grabbed a paint brush and began to mix different colored icings together on a pallet, much like oil paint. With a steady hand and focused concentration he began to make delicate petal like strokes that in time became the red roses. “I just can’t get over how pretty she is,” Aiden remarked suddenly, referring to the feline still asleep on his bed upstairs. “No animal should have a right to look that beautiful and relaxed while pregnant.” He joked. “Shouldn’t she be sick or something?”

Katz nodded as she herself laughed a little “Animals don’t deal with pregnancy the same way humans do. Though she’s gotten pretty big, I’d say she should be giving birth soon.”

“Then I’ll be having even more little fuzz-balls stealing my bed.” He rolled his eyes as he coated the paint brush once more.

“You could move them.” Kats pointed out matter-o-fact.

“And risk getting that look of utter betrayal and annoyance, like I’ve offended them in the highest way?” Aiden faked a shiver. “I think I’d rather sleep on the floor.” They laughed good-naturedly before they refocused back of their work.

Of all the jobs he had tried to hold down, Aiden really liked working here the most. It cultivated his artistic muse. The room upstairs was not much, but it was warm and dry. It was certainly better than some of the other places he had stayed. Or the few times he had had to sleep in an alley or gutter. In fact, this had been the longest that he had stayed anywhere without being found and then chased out of town. He wanted to believe that his luck had changed. That maybe this time would be different, but he dared not. Every time he had even hoped to think that, it had been less than a week before they had found him again and he had been on the run once more. He remembered how in the beginning it had been kind of thrilling. Like one of the epic stories he always wrote in his graphic novels. Then again, in the beginning he had not been alone. Then after a while the excitement of it all had died down into a dull dread that became a constant stress. He grew tired of it and in the end had resented her for putting him in this situation.  So he had left, hoping that doing so would finally free him. It hadn’t. Now he had the same dread, the same stress and paranoia of everything around him, but he was all alone. Perhaps that was why he drew the cats so much. It calmed him. Besides, he sure as hell did not want to draw wolves anymore.

There was the jingling of a bell as the front door to the shop opened, signaling a customer. Katz immediately stopped what she was doing and while wiping her hands on her apron she left the kitchen and turned the corner that lead behind the bakery front counter. “Hello, how can I help you-Oh!?” The sudden gasp in her voice caught Aiden’s attention.

Aiden paused for a moment at hearing the change in pitch of Katz’s voice. “Are you… do you have business here?” He heard her say, but it was low and almost spoken in a secretive whisper. That did not make Aiden feel good. He gulped reflexively. His nerves were immediately on end as he mentally prepared to abandon everything and run if need be.

“No, not today at least.” came a low and more masculine reply. What was in reality a fraction of a second felt like several minutes as he waited to hear any inkling of confusion or fear in Katz’s response.

“Oh? Well then, hello stranger!” Her tone changed immediately. It sounded friendlier but also intrigued and joking. “What brings you here then?” Aiden took in a steadying breath and immediately calmed down. If Katz was no longer worried, then he felt that he shouldn’t be either.

“I wish to return this. I believe it was lost by one of your employees.”

Aiden blinked. Now that he was calm he felt like he recognized that voice. Yes, he had heard it before not too long ago.

“Well that doesn’t look like one of mine. Can I see it?” There was a pause before an almost amused laugh could be heard “Oh, I know that scent.”

“May I see him?”

There was a momentary pause before Katz replied “Interesting.” Then is a more firm tone she asked “Should I be worried?”

“No.”

“Then let me see.” Katz said before she returned to the kitchen, eyeing Aiden curiously. “Can you take care of the front for a moment?”

Aiden frowned. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but he did trust Katz enough to not think he was walking into a dangerous situation. Despite that he tried to come up with any excuse to _not_ go “But I thought my job was strictly decorating and-”

“Yes yes,” She moved behind him and practically scooted him toward the entryway. “You can finish that later.”

“Katz!” Aiden growled out her name just as he was pushed through the doorway and then behind the counter. He turned to face the man and his eyes went wide as he recognized that same chiseled face and sandy short blondish hair he had seen not a day before. “YOU!”

Nigel smiled in amusement “Yes, me.” He held up his hand and Aiden’s red ribbon dangled loosely from one intertwined finger. “I believe this is yours.”

Aiden eyed it suspiciously before reaching out and grasping it in his palm “Thanks.” His gaze returned to Nigel, watching him like a skittish prey animal. He wound the ribbon around his fingers absently. “You tracked me down just to give me a ribbon?” No one was that nice.

“Well, I had some ulterior motives.” Nigel moved forward and leaned against the counter. Aiden immediately took a step back. “I wanted to see you again.” A tentative shiver ran down Aiden’s spine, but he refused to show it. The man was attractive; a person didn’t need to be gay to see that. But the darkness that seemed to linger in his eyes made Aiden weary.

There was a long pause and then Aiden asked “Are you stalking me?”

“No,” was the calm reply.

Aiden’s gaze narrowed as he looked at the ribbon in his hand and then at Nigel. “There is no way you could have found where I am by just a ribbon.” His voice became a low hushed whisper “ **Who** are you? Or rather, **what** are you?” He locked eyes with the man once more, but no matter how he looked at him he could not see any gold pigmentation of the iris that would indicate the man was a werewolf.

This young man just grew more and more interesting by the minute. Nigel considered playing dumb and even outright lying, but for some reason he didn’t want to. Nor did he think the human would believe him anyway. “My name is Nigel,” he began “and I’m a vampire.” He chuckled, as if what he said was nothing surprising or in the least bit shocking.

Aiden pursed his lips, his mind in a panicked frenzy. His eyes glanced outside to the very clear bright sunlit day. Well, apparently the idea of vampires only being able to walk around at night was just a myth. Good to know. Still, the man in front of him did not look particularly vampirish, or intimidating, especially in that loose fitting blue shirt with miniature dachshunds as a pattern. The dogs were orange and brown for god’s sake! To think that something as ruthless and formidable as a vampire would dress in that was… absolutely comical. He also noticed a tattoo at the left side of the man’s neck. It looked to be a scantily clad woman holding a beer, which was again a more provocative image rather than a menacing one.

Aiden could not help the amused smirk and half laugh that tried to escape. When he looked up, however, and caught Nigel’s gaze one more, he changed his mind. Those eyes may not be gold but they were hard, calculative, and spoke of a power and hunger that had been perfected over centuries of living.

Licking his lips he decided to ask “Are you with them?”

“With who?” Nigel tilted his head amusedly.

Aiden licked his lips and glanced around them before leaning forward slightly. “The wolves!” he hissed, not truly knowing if he should start running or not.

Nigel rose an interested eyebrow “Werewolves and vampires have never quite gotten along. So, to answer your question, no, I am not in league with any wolves either.”

Aiden stepped closer, curious now “Really?” he gulped again “You’re not shitting me?”

“Really.” The vampire smiled “And no.”

Aiden sighed, at least relieved to hear that bit of news “Then why are you here?”

“I told you, to return your ribbon” His eyes did a not so very subtle once over of Aiden’s body “and possibly ask you out on a date.”

Aiden immediately became suspicious again “I don’t date strangers, nor am I interested.”

“Then give me your name and we won’t be strangers.”

“I am not going to give you my name.” Aiden shot back. He was slightly offended and opened his mouth to demand that the man leave when at that same moment he smelled something intoxicating. It reminded him of when they had first met back in the church, but he had just assumed that had been some lingering incense or candles. Now here it was again. He took another subconscious step forward, smelling subtly. Dear lord was that him? Was it normal that all vampires smelled this erotic or was it just Nigel in particular?! Aiden shook his head to get it back on track. It was not like him to find other men attractive, but perhaps that was some weird vampire power. Either way, Aiden didn’t like it or trust it.

“Why not?” Nigel asked “If you are worried that I’ll be able to find you using your name I’m afraid that is a moot point.”

Aiden blushed slightly, realizing the other man was right. Biting his lip, he wondered if he continued to refuse if the vampire would just keep coming back. “Fine, it’s Aiden.” He turned to leave “I need to get back to work.”

“And our date?”

That had Aiden bristling. Were all vampires this forward? “I’m not going on a date with you. I don’t like going out in public, for one,” It was far too risky “and secondly I’m not into men and I don’t want any kind of relationship. Please, just…” he trailed off and was afraid he had gone too far.

He expected Nigel to fight back, to persuade him or even get mad, but instead the vampire just looked at him and then nodded “I see. Then, I apologize for my behavior.” He moved away from the counter and just as he was about to turn and leave he said “but I’ll be waiting just in case you change your mind.” He left before Aiden could ask him what he meant. Then again, maybe he didn’t want to know.

Later that night, Aiden lay in his bed debating on whether he should pack up and run or stay. He didn’t think Nigel was a threat, at least to his life, but neither did he think he was exactly friendly either. The man had an air of danger and contained ruthlessness about him. He had wanted to ask Kats about him but couldn’t find the words. He didn’t want to have to explain his past or his reasoning. But Nigel unsettled him. It worried him, even if he did pretend it didn’t excite him, and _that smell_. Aiden had never realized that smell could be such an attractant. The scent lingered in his mind and had him yearning and feeling a little hot under the collar. Wiping his hands over his face he groaned in clear agitation. What was wrong with him? After everything that happened he thought his mind would have learned by now. Mystery was not attractive. Danger isn’t sexy, nor is it something you actively seek out. Especially with a man who admitted to being a _vampire_!

After learning that werewolves existed, Aiden had wondered if other supernatural creatures did too. It would make sense that they did. How odd though for one of them to just openly admit it to Aiden after only just meeting him. Nigel could have been lying, sadistically joking with him the entire time. It wasn’t like he had asked to see the man’s fangs. He gulped, bringing a hand to his neck. He wondered if they really did drink human blood and what would a bite like that feel like. He could very clearly picture Nigel’s sandy blonde hair and piercing eyes staring captivatingly at him as he drew slowly closer and closer. His lips would part to reveal sharp white fangs that would feel warm and graze just over the pulse point of his neck. Aiden closed his eyes and took a steadying breath.

He turned his head to the side to glance out his window. It was very nearly sundown and his stomach gave a disgruntled gurgle. Rising from the bed, he went downstairs to the kitchen. He had intended to just grab a loaf of bread but instead he very nearly bumped into Katz. She was dressed like she was going out for a night about the town.

“Oh, hello, Aiden. Are you heading out too?” Her voice seemed a little more cheery than usual.

“No,” he replied. There was something off about Katz, she seemed a little too giddy and she looked to be fidgeting in discomfort. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Yes, I’ll- I’ll be gone for a day or two. You don’t have to run the shop while I’m gone. Just put the closed sign up.”

“Wait, what?” Aiden asked, startled by what she said.  When she started walking away Aiden followed her “What are you talking about, the bakery never closes. That’s what you told me when I started working here.”

“Oh, I guess I did.” She waved a hand “That was a little white lie. About twice a year I close up shop for about a week. It’s normal. You won’t have any trouble.”

“A week!? What about the customers?”

“Oh, they are already use to this and know where to find me.”

“What?!” To Aiden this wasn’t making one bit of sense. “So you’re just leaving for a week.” He decided to not even mention the ‘dressed like that’ part. This was beyond odd. Usually Katz preferred to stay at home and the bakery was her entire life. Why would she just leave? “Is it something I’ve done?” He ventured.

Katz stopped and gave him a sympathetic look “No sweetie. It’s just…” she sighed and then patted his cheek reassuringly “It’s my nature.”

Aiden didn’t understand that either so he asked “Was it… because of that man earlier today?” He bit his lower lip. After Nigel had left Aiden had gone back to work and had refused to answer any of Katz’s bubbling questions, much to her displeasure. “Look, I don’t even know him. He just showed up and that’s all.”

“Seemed pretty interested in you for someone you don’t know at all. And he wasn’t that bad looking.” She frowned “Not really the kind I go for, but we all have our preferences.”

“It is absolutely-” he stopped himself from dignifying her statement. “I just don’t understand why you have to go?”

Katz sighed dramatically as she reached the front door. She patted his cheek as she whispered “Biology sweetie, now go eat and get a good night sleep.” She opened the door, the bell chiming within the entryway, and then was gone. Aiden stood there feeling somehow adrift. Then, after a moment, he poured himself a glass of milk and went back up to his room.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second Hugh/Mads Character Shipping fic, and yes I still plan to do a whole hell of a lot more fanfics.  
> I can't promise that all of them will be long multi-chap stories, but I can promise I will try to make them interesting and or course smutty.


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